Primer construction



July 22 1924.

C.- P. GRIMES PRIMER CONSTRUCTION Filed July 51. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m mmlm IN VEN TOR.

Patented hiya, ieaa rnnunn. coivsrnuorr'on.

Application filed July 31, i928. Serial/No. 654,957.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. -GRI-MES, a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have-invention a certain new and useful Primer Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to primers for internal combustion engines, and has for its object a' particularly simple and efficient primer construction for forming the priming charge. The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed. 4

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an engine embodying this primer.

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sectionalviews of the primer, taken at a right angle to eachother.

Figure 4, is a vertical sectional view of the valve for controlling the outlet passage of the primer.

This primer construction is articularly adapted to carry out the method or forming the priming charge which method consists in evaporating a liquid fuel in a confined chamber having a restricted'outlet to the intake manifold of the engine, by quickly heating the liquid fuel in the chamber and heating thevolatilized fuel in the chamber above the level of the liquidv fuel in the presence of a comparatively small amount of. air, whereby a fixed partly combusted gas is formed, under sufiicientpressure to force itself throu h the. outlet' and into the manifold and t e cylinders partly dilutin this charge by the air in the intake manifo (1 and in the engine cylinders and 'then after the en c has been started by being and or by the starting motor,-

cranked by addin auxiliary air to the fixed partly combuste gas before it asses into the manifold.

This method of orming the as in the primer is based upon my hypothesis that the primer must produce a rich fixed gas which when diluted by the air present in the yoke and port passages of the engine will still be rich enough to fire or ignite forcibl and at the same time automatically supp ies a proper mixture of combustible gas and air suitable for firing without dilution when corresponding in the u per the engine is cranked, even though a vastly larger volume he demanded from the primer device, and that these. two qualities of vapor must be supplied upon demand and be of the right quantity in each case. 7 It is further based upon my hypothesis that the producing of this vfixed vapor or gas requires a heavy current to produce the required heating, and that during the time of its generation, the gas must not escape from open ports or passages, but on the contrary must be confined after generation under pressure of sufiicient amount to force it upthrough the suction yoke and through the intake valve or valves of any cylinders that might be open. This primer, therefore, works in two stages, one to fill ,the suction yoke with a fixed rich combustible vapor second to supply the engine witha proper combustible vapor while. cranking. And hence, the primer consists in the combination of a heater chamber, and an auxiliary carburetor capable of function as outlined above. Y

The fixed vapor is a partially combusted hydrocarbon which will not condense even 7 after being thoroughly chilled and therefore, the vapor or fixed gas produced dur-- mg the first stage is a gas that is fixed and W111 not condense appreciably and has suflicient pressure to force itself into the intake I manifold and the cylinders of the engine.

The. illustrated embodiment of this primer, comprising an upright chamber 1, which iliary air passage 7, opening into the upper portion 5 of the cham er near the outlet 4, a valve 8 which normally closes such passage 7 and which is opened when sufiic'lent suction or vacuum is created in the engine cylinders during the crankin of the engine, and a heating'unit 9, exten inglengthwise 'of the chamber'l, and having. a portion 10,

arranged in the lower portlon 3 of such chamber so that it is submerged in the liquid fuel therein, and another portion, arranged rtion 5 of the chamber above the leve of t e liquid fuel.

' The fuel intake 2 is here shown as connected to the bowl or' float chamber 11, of the carburetor, so that the level of the fuel in the lower portion 3 of the chamber .1 is the same as in the float chamber of the carbureter. Although this fuel chamber may be connected to any other supply offuel and the level thereof, maintained in any suitably manner. The level of the fuel is indicated by the line 12. Preferably the primary air intake 6 opens into the chamber 1 below the level of the fuel therein although it may and probably does at times open into the lower chamber 3 of the casing at or slightly above such level as the level prob ably varies slightly during the operation of the primer.

The outlet 1- is connected to the intake yoke 13 by a pipe 14 extending upwardly from the outlet at, this pipe being normally closed by a valve 15, which may be operated in any suitable manner, and is here shown as operated by an electric magnet or solenoid 16, here shown as mounted on the upper side of the immediate part of the yoke 13. The pipe leis of such diameter or so restrictedthat even when the valve 15 is open, pressure is created in the chamber durlng the formation of the fixed gas.

The auxiliary air inlet passage 7, is here shown as located in the lower wall of a laterally extending hollow portion 17 at the top of the chamber 1, so that such passage is out of line with the outlet 4, butoisusub iect to the suction created in the outlet 4 during the cranking of the engine. And the valve 8 which controls the passage 7 is here shown as a ball.

The electric heating element 9 may be of any suitable form, size and construction and is provided with a body of insulation 18 around the coil. The opposite ends of the heating element are connected to suitable terminals or binding devices 19 and 20, which are connected in an electric circuit including the battery, this circuit being controlled by a switch 21 which also preferably simultaneously controls the flow of the current through the coil or the solenoid 16.

In operation when the switch 21'is closed the valve 15 is opened and at the same time the current flows through the heating element 9, which is constructed to create intense heat quickly. The heat from the heating element quickly volatilizes the liquid fuel and it rises into the upper portion 5 of the casing where it is heated by the coil 9, and owing to a small amount of air present in the chamber 1, is partially combined with the oxygen of the air and is therefore partially combusted. @wing to the restricted outlet or the pipe 14: pressure in the chamber is created.

The heated vapor thus generated forces through the outlet 14 to the intake manifold. This gas is very rich and even when diluted by the air present in the yoke 13 and port passages of the engine,is rich enough nsoaoee to fire forcibly when the engine is cranked, and to cause the actuation of the engine, when the movement of the pistons creates suction, the suction actingthrough the pipe per- 1 1 opens the auxiliary air valve 8 and mits air to be drawn in through'the passage 7, and also through the primary air passage 6, forming a firing mixture so that automatically a proper mixture of gas and air is created, suitable to maintain continued running of the engine until the switch is again opened and the engine run by the charges drawn in through the carburetor. The engine is usually cranked by a starting motor, which is energized usually after the switch has been closed for a short space of time.

By reason of its partial combustion and the acquired property of resistance to condensation, this vapor lends itself to being conducted through extremely cold passages such as 20 below zero for at least a half hour and yet retain the property of rapid combustion similar toexplosion when ignited by the passage of an electric spark such as may occur at the points of any satisgines, comprising a chamber having an outlet from its upper end, and a fuel inlet its lower end, a primary air inlet near its lower end, and a heating element arranged in the chamber and extending lengthwise thereof, whereby a portion is submerged in the liquid fuel, and a portion is located above the level of the liquid fuel, the primary air inlet opening into the chamber below the level of the fuel.

2. A primer for internal combustion engines, comprising a chamber having an outlet from its upper end, a fuel inlet near its lower end, a heating element in the cham her, a primary air inlet openin into the lower portion of the chamber, an iary'air inlet in the upper portion of the chamber. 1

3. A primer for internal combustion engines, comprisinga chamber having an outlet from its upper end, a fuel inlet near its lower end, a heating element in the charm her, a primary air inlet opening into the lower portion of the chamber, and an auxiliary air inlet in the upper portion of the chamber, and a normally .closed suction an aurilend, and an outlet from its upper end, a heating element in the chamber and havin a portlonthereof arranged to be submerge with the liquid fuel in the lower portion of the chamber, and a portion arranged above the level of the liquid fuel, a primary air inlet opening into the lower portion of the chamber,, and a normall closed suction operated auxiliary air va ve in the upper portion of the chamber.

5. A primer for internal combustion engines, comprising a casing, confining an upri ht chamber, the chamber being formed with a laterally extending portion 1n its upper portion formed with an auxiliary air passage therein, an outlet leading from the upper portion of the chamber out or alignliquid fuel, and a suction operated alve normally closing the auxiliary air intake.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Syracuse, in the county of Ononda a, and State of New York, this 21st day 0 July, 1923.

CHARLES P. GRIMES. 

